The leader of the Democratic Unification Party warned that if the United Kingdom Brexit, it is ready to withdraw from Stormont’s power sharing Northern Ireland The agreement has not changed substantially.
Just a few days after the Brexit minister, David Frost announces that Britain will not be “swept away” The controversial arrangement involved inspections of cargo entering Northern Ireland from the UK, and DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson warned that if “the agreement still exists”, DUP will not be able to proceed in Stormont.
Although Lord Frost moved on Monday Indefinitely suspend part of the agreementDonaldson raised his bet on Thursday, saying he hopes to find a solution within a few weeks.
“We are totally opposed to the agreement that currently exists. We will neither accept nor work. In my assessment, the time frame for problem resolution can be measured in weeks rather than months or years,” he said.
“If, in the final analysis, those democratically elected by the people of Northern Ireland lack the power to prevent such inspections, and the agreement issues still exist, then the position of DUP Minister will become untenable.”
He added in a speech in Belfast: “Let me be clear: If the final choice is to stay in office or implement the protocol in its current form, then the only option for any union minister is to stop holding such a position.”
Sinn Fein Party Chairman, Mary Lou McDonald, Calling Donaldson’s comments “reckless, irresponsible and short-sighted election gimmicks.”
Donaldson said that the British method of “limiting” the agreement is “doomed to fail” and “it is much better for us to grasp the problem now and solve it once and for all.”
In a speech on Wednesday morning, these remarks were the most serious threat to DUP, only 18 months before power sharing resumed.Three years ago, in DUP and ourselves.
For Donaldson, this is a major political move. He Succeeding Arlene Foster Served as the leader of the party in the summer. The DPP slipped in the polls and leaked its support to rival union parties.
As he issued the warning, European Commission Vice President Maroš Šefčovič (Frost’s Brussels counterpart) arrived in Belfast for a two-day meeting with political, business and civic leaders. Shevcovic was originally scheduled to meet with all Northern Irish party leaders on Thursday afternoon, including the first minister, Paul Givan of the DUP.
Donaldson pointed out that Esmond Birnie, a senior economist at the University of Ulster, recently stated that the cost of the agreement could be around £850 million per year. “That’s money we can’t lose at all. Although I am shocked by the constitutional meaning of the agreement, it is certainly not just a union issue.”
He added that Archie Norman, Chairman of Marks & Spencer, recently warned that customers in Northern Ireland could face a “significant reduction in food supply” and price increases this year.
Strong opposition to the agreement will be regarded as a political gamble by the DUP. According to recent polls, the approval rate dropped to 13%, and the party was replaced by the Ulster Trade Union Party and the smaller traditional trade union party.
The leader of the Social Democratic Labor Party accused the DUP of asking the people of Northern Ireland to extort a ransom for “their narrow self-interests” and stated that the union issue is related to Brexit But the identity.
“I believe these concerns are real and legitimate. Therefore, this debate should not be disguised as a problem of repositioning the supply chain. These problems can be resolved through operational goodwill and political generosity,” Coron East Wood said.
Frost said over the weekend that he is seeking to make substantial changes to the agreement and hopes to trigger Article 13, paragraph 8, of the agreement, which allows the agreement to be superseded. But he said that this does not mean the cancellation of the agreement. In his view, the new arrangement will still include some inspections of the Irish Sea.
“This is not just a question of restricting border inspections or moving inspections from the border. This must mean that, except in the most limited circumstances, EU law will not apply to Northern Ireland,” Donaldson said.
